Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball secured its second-consecutive season-sweep over ninth-seeded Cal State Bakersfield at Titan Gym Saturday afternoon, 60-57.
Sophomore Cristina Jones remained a huge standout contributor, following up her 35 point and 20 rebound performance against the Roadrunners on Feb. 7 with her second 20/20 game on the season – two of the six in program history.
Jones had 21 points and 21 rebounds to her name, her eighth double-double of the season.
“Having my teammates’ and my coaches’ support, anytime I hear them say ‘Rebound, crash, or you know, just go up and show in front of them, that’s what I’m going to do,’” Jones said.
The decisive moment that shifted the game in CSUF’s favor occurred when guard Kya Pearson found freshman Nicole Steiner for a game-tying layup late in the third quarter, as the Titans held the lead for the majority of the remaining time and saw a dominant third quarter put them back in the driver’s seat.
“I think it’s just a matter of us playing together,” said Head Coach John Bonner. “The ability to kind of just read the defense and make great plays, and I thought that was a situation where they executed.”
Steiner praised Pearson’s elite passing and team-first mentality.
“K.P. is the best passer, she’ll look for us before she looks for her own shot,” Steiner said.
Cal State Bakersfield showed tenacity on defense, swarming ball handlers en route to forcing six turnovers on four steals.
The Roadrunners’ impressive 80% conversion rate at the charity stripe crept them ahead early, 25-14, by the end of the first quarter.
“I just think they’re a team very similar to ours, they like to cause a lot of disruptions,” Bonner said. “They do a really good job of getting to the free throw line, and so we knew it was going to be a battle coming in just because of their speed and athleticism.”
CSUF kept the game close with a layup by Jones, cutting the lead to three with a few minutes left in the half.
However, Cal State Bakersfield made the Titans pay for their meager 20% 3-point shooting, going on an 8-2 run near the half. CSUF went into halftime trailing 36-28.
The Titans’ offense got rolling during the third quarter, shooting 42.9% from the field in comparison to the Roadrunners’ 21.4%.
CSUF also dominated their Big West rival in the paint, with a 36-26 point edge.
“We just came into the half knowing we just got to pick it up with each other,” Jones said. “It’s never about the other team and what they’re doing, it’s always about how we have to stick together.”
Shortly after Steiner’s equalizing play, free throws by Jones and sophomore Maddy Tauro gave CSUF the lead, 42-40, for the first time since the opening minutes.
Another timely bucket by Jones extended the Titans’ lead to four going into the fourth quarter. Both teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle, taking a lead no greater than four.
Ultimately, a late foul by guard Morgan Hawkins sent Tauro to the line, who converted the Titans’ game-sealing free throw with 11 seconds left.
The Titans fly across the Pacific Ocean to take on the fifth-seeded University of Hawai’i on Saturday, Feb. 28.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m.